Category: Uncategorized
Discussion: Staying Motivated to Write
One of the things I personally struggle with is staying motivated enough to write here on my blog. I think a lot of other people struggle with this from time to time and it’s an important thing to talk about. When you’re in a blogging slump or even just really busy, how do you stay motivated?
I personally try to make a list and cross off items as I finish them, like my current one:
1. Review The Courtesan Duchess
2. Finish my review of The Dead Days Journal
3. Read The White Princess by Philippa Gregory.
You get the idea. Basically, my detail-oriented personality responds nicely when I have a list and physically see things being ticked off. That’s why I have a to-review shelf on Goodreads as well; it satisfies me to take books off that shelf as I post my reviews of them. It doesn’t always work but it’s one of the best things I can do to keep myself motivated during slumps.
So what do you guys do to stay motivated to blog/write in general?
I’m Now a Writer for Blogcritics!
A couple of days ago I sent in an application to write for Blogcritics, a site where bloggers write on topics ranging from culture and society to gaming and books. I emailed in the application along with three samples of my writing here on my blog and today I got my acceptance email.
I’m not sure what my first article will be but it will likely be an author interview. I’m pretty excited about the whole thing and will definitely be announcing here on The Mad Reviewer when my hypothetical article will be published. This is sort of my first paid writing gig and I’m very happy to have it.
If you too want to apply to write for Blogcritics, click here. By all accounts, it’s quite a worthwhile thing to sink your time into.
Lazy Sundays: Sons of the Harpy (Game of Thrones Episode 5.04)
So here are my thoughts on the episode:
1. Since Baelish believes Sansa will be liberated by Stannis’ army (if they ever get there) he obviously trusts her to navigate the snakepit of Winterfell under the Boltons. So he clearly doesn’t know about Ramsey’s…well, everything. Most unlike him. I really do wonder if they’re setting up more of Sansa’s ruthlessness as she’s left alone to take revenge on the Boltons. Will she kill Ramsey? Will Theon/Reek kill Ramsey?
2. Cersei is playing with fire now with the Faith Militant and I think the show’s writers are setting up her downfall just beautifully. Imprisoning Ser Loras for immorality, sending Lord Tyrell away so he can’t interfere, proabably accusing Margarey of adultery…just wait until Fortune’s wheel spins again, Cersei! One minute you’re on top, the next you’re being crushed on the bottom.
3. Poor Ser Loras.
4. Poor people of King’s Landing for that matter. No booze, no brothels…whatever are they going to do?
5. Yay, we finally get to see the Sand Snakes! They’re just as wonderfully ruthless as I pictured them and I can’t wait to see them in action. So far I’m really liking Nymeria.
6. How the heck did Melisandre know about “You know nothing, Jon Snow”? I think she suspects that R + L = J and that Jon may very well not be Ned Stark’s son at all. There’s power in king’s blood, after all…
7. That was a really touching moment between Shireen and Stannis when he explained how she got greyscale. Unfortunately, I think that and Melisandre’s “the Lord needs her” comments are setting up her death, but it was still sweet.
8. No, Ser Barristan! You poor, honourable fool. I wish they hadn’t cut him out of the show yet because I like his character, but I guess it was not to be. I wonder how Daenerys is going to take his death after their quite touching scene together.
9. Well, poor Grey Worm. I think he’s wounded at this point, not dead because of the scene where Missandei kisses him in the season’s trailer.
10. Jaime and Bronn are awesome road trip buddies. I suspect they’re going to run into a lot of trouble down the road.
11. Poor Ser Jorah, poor Tyrion. They’re really not getting along at all at the moment.
Well, what did you guys think? Are you as disappointed as I am at Ser Barristan’s death? What did you think of the hints at Jon Snow’s real parentage dropped throughout the episode?
The Best and Worst of April 2015
Um, where did April go? I feel like it went by in a blur. One day I was doing the March financial statements at work and after what felt like one week later I started doing the April financial statements today. So really I can’t say how my April went other than fast. I was glad Game of Thrones started up again and that the weather has been really nice here in my corner of Saskatchewan. My formal dress that I ordered came in the other day and only needs some tiny adjustments to fit perfectly. Things are really looking up for May.
Stats-wise April was not bad. I received 5,242 views in total, which is down from March by about 600 but I’m not too worried. My unique views were pretty decent with 3,550 in total in April. That’s a lot less than I received last April when my Game of Thrones rebuttal article really took off with the premiere of season 4. I really can’t complain. I’m just happy that my daily views are consistent and that Game of Thrones is back.
So what were my best articles this month?
1. Why Girls Hate Game of Thrones—A Rebuttal
2. How to Read 100 Pages in an Hour
3. The Day an Author Suggested I Kill Myself
4. The Hunger Games and Ancient Rome
5. The Game of Thrones Rape Problem
There aren’t really any new ones here except for #5. What’s more interesting to me is that in regards to #3, Bruce Willis was shoved back into the spotlight when he launched yet another highly sexist and swear-heavy attack on an editor who dared to edit. She posted it on Twitter and although I won’t link to it, it was pretty shocking and disgusting. Well, not for this guy, who has previously launched anti-Semitic attacks against some editors, but shocking to polite society.
So what were my worst posts this month?
1. The Best and Worst of March 2015
2. The Mad Reviewer’s First Giveaway
3. My Interview with John Heldt (2)
4. Writers: Beware the False Editor
5. Spoils of Olympus: By the Sword by Christian Kachel
At least this month every single ‘worst’ post on the list is new. Some of them, like #1 and #2 are completely dated by now while others are books that are not very popular, authors that are not exactly bestsellers and articles on topics that are quite common like bad editors. I’m not disappointed by any of these on the list because I know that as usual there will be different ones next month.
So how was your April? Did it go by as quickly as mine?
Lazy Sundays: High Sparrow (Game of Thrones Episode 5.03)
Hmm, this week we have some more interesting changes so here are my thoughts on the episode in no particular order:
1. Sansa, run! Run away from Ramsay Bolton because he’s Joffrey 2.0, the new and improved version.
2. Good on Jon Snow for not backing down even when Lord Janos started blubbering. He’s certainly changed from when he first met Ygritte.
3. Hmm, I wonder how old Tommen is in the show now? Apparently old enough to have marital relations with Margarey.
4. Cersei really doesn’t seem happy about her son’s marriage and his not-so-subtle attempt to get her away from King’s Landing. I know she’ll definitely regret unleashing the Faith Militant later.
5. Poor Ser Jorah, poor Tyrion. Now there’s an odd couple for a road trip that’s obviously doomed to fail.
So what did you guys think of the massive change from the books (re: Sansa’s impending marriage)? Does Littlefinger really not know what Ramsey Bolton is or is he trying to trick the Boltons and then stab them in the back? He seems to at least care somewhat what happens to Sansa so either he’s naive (which is completely out of character) or he’s playing the long game. What do you guys think?